This place certainly has potential and it’s very early days so hopefully they will improve in a couple of areas. We got the fish and chips and Caesar salad, both were a good size and splitting each was the right decision for us. Both were very reasonably priced.
We also ordered a dozen oysters which were featured on the menu. The waiter informed us that it was dealers’s choice so they pick which is fine, but when he brought the oysters, we asked the waiter what they were and were told that he doesn’t really know much about Oysters so couldn’t tell us. At a minimum he could’ve gone back to the bar and gotten that information. I don’t think we’ve gone to a restaurant with oysters as a primary option where we were not given information about what we were getting. We also found the oysters themselves to be not the best. All of them were quite briny, but none of them were creamy like a good oyster can be.
So bottom line, the owner needs to train his staff and understand when people are paying $48 for a dozen oysters that they expect both quality and information. I will try the restaurant again after they’ve settled in, but hopefully they’ll take the suggestions to heart as I’m wishing them success
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Paul
Yeah this place is super fun. As far as oyster bars in the east bay I can’t think of a better spot. The decor is super cool sweet mix of modern meets east coast fishing house. The service was great and the oysters tasted great. When I come back I think I’ll try the fish and chips. The couple next to us got them and I was super jealous. The wine selection is also really good, small but it has 3 options for every type, what else do you need???
I’ve been here a couple of times now and will totally be coming back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karen Chin
Was worried that the food would be over rated, but the clam chowder was way better than I expected. The oysters were delicious and the drinks yummy. Vibes inside are cute and there’s a nice sunny open back patio.
Andrey Kabanov
The oysters and food were superb, and the service was great as well!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tofer Mai
On our weekly date night and decided we would stop and try this place. The place was relatively empty so we thought it pretty easy to get in. We stood there and waited for 5 minutes with the blonde bartender making eye contact and proceed to turn their back and clean the glasses. Preferred if they were closing to just acknowledge us instead of turning away.
Service: 1
Courtney McCulloch
I wasn’t impressed. Oysters weren’t great. Didn’t love the wine. Soup was watery. Sampled some other bites too and it didn’t feel elevated or special. For the price we paid, might as well go to the wolf where the quality matches the price. Service was AMAZING, however. Really great personalities and good energy was the saving grace here.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Deanna Bjorkquist
My dream last night involved us playing ultimate at Oak Tech on a Sun evening, and then at sunset we decided to walk to Small Change Oyster Bar on Telegraph for wine and food.(I have never been, but it was great in my dream!) I ordered a dry earthy sparkling rosé the waiter was excited about, and it was really yummy. I ended up ordering a second glass despite thinking it was a bad idea since I had to work the next day. Well, our group was hanging out, having a great time, and I’m feeling very lovey and grateful for everyone. I eventually have to pee, so I go upstairs to use the restroom which had glass walls?! Awkward. I am sitting on the toilet and Alan walks upstairs to pee too (he was in there with another group of friends) and he sees me, so I am trying to hurry, but I can’t get myself to pee, so I feel bad I’m taking too long, and I give up so he can use the bathroom. I am about to walk downstairs, but these two long lost strangers see each other and apparently were really into each other before, so they impromptu start making out, and at first I’m thinking, “aw that’s cute,” but then it grosses me out because I can hear their teeth clinking together. I walk downstairs to rejoin the group and when I get to the foot of the stairs, Mac is above me and says, “hey babe, watch this,” and then he does a jacknife jump off the stairs into some wooden chairs busting one of the chairs. Mac is very drunk. I ask him what he had been drinking and he said whiskey. I didn’t know where he got the whiskey from in a wine bar, but I was glad he wasn’t injured. I find the restaurant manager and tell him we will pay for the broken chair. He asks for my email, and while I am giving it to him, I ask him how much the chair was. He said it was a $5,000 chair. I tried to play it cool, even though I was really surprised. It was a pretty simple wooden bar chair, but yeah I guess chairs cost a lot. So I tell him my email, but it was really hard watching him write it on this big note pad, he kept writing in big fancy cursive letters, it was making it hard to know if he spelled it right. Then he started designing a neon sign for the restaurant that said, “looking good babe.” Anyway, I confirm he has my email, and I am about to rejoin our group who is getting ready to leave, when the restaurant announces it is closed and it’s time for everyone to leave. But there is this big group of women who are drunk and don’t want to leave. They are telling the waitstaff, “are you seriously going to kick us out right now after how much we have spent?!” The waitstaff looked so tired. I felt bad for them, so I wanted to help. I walked over to the drunk Karens and shouted, “You should be ashamed of yourselves! Everyone else understands it is time to leave, but you think you’re better than everyone else?! Grow up!” They look stunned so I thought maybe my strategy worked. I’m almost back with our group who finished paying and is walking out the door when I hear someone coming up behind me. I turn around and she clearly wants to fight. I shrug and say, “what?” Then she tries to kick me with her wedge heel boots, but I catch her leg, and she has this “oh no!” look on her face. I drop her leg and she runs back to her group. I turn around and tell our group I think I was basically in a bar fight. Tommy laughed. We are walking out the bar, and I realize I didn’t finish my second glass of wine, there is about 1/3 of it left. I am bummed because I really liked it, I think about chugging it, but decide not to and am really proud of myself for that decision. I find Mac and he is wasted. We get to the street, and I realize I didn’t pay the bill, someone else did, which bummed me because I wanted to leave a really nice tip to apologize for the chair. I plan to write them a great review instead. 5 stars!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Janney Lockman
Great neighborhood place with friendly employees, good drinks, and delicious food, even if you don’t/can’t eat oysters. If you can get the branzino, do so.
Darcy Lincoln
Love having a seafood spot in Temescal. They have some work to do on the value proposition here — or maybe they are still figuring out what kind of restaurant they want to be. I’m all for spending $48 for an entree and $23 for a glass of wine — but when the entree is a tiny lobster roll on a hot dog bun, and the atmosphere is old picnic tables, paper napkins, and super loud auto-tune music, it feels … a little off. Would love to see them elevate the atmosphere to match the pricing.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Barbara Jovanovic
Amazing food and vibes! Everyone that works there is SO nice and the oysters were truly the best I've ever had. Don't miss out on their fish and chips either!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish 'N' Chips, Oyster Platter
Fantastic locale with great menu and great service. The manager takes great care of the place. Highly recommended!
Shatta Porter
all you can ask for at an oyster bar: super fresh and yummy oysters, outdoor seating by the fire and a tranquil atmosphere. a nice spot for my fellow oyster lovers out there, come check it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Platter
Charlene Abreu
The mixed selection of broiled oysters and service were amazing. 💛
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Platter
Haley Swanson
If you’re a fan of fresh seafood, crafted drinks, and an unforgettable ambiance, Small Change is a must-visit! From the moment you step in, the warm, welcoming atmosphere sets the stage for a truly exceptional dining experience.
The oysters are phenomenal—perfectly shucked and bursting with briny goodness. Pair them with the house-made mignonettes or a glass of bubbly, and you’re in heaven. Beyond the oysters, the seafood offerings are next level. So happy to have Small Change in Temescal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Platter
Kevin Martin
Temescal’s greatest treasure. This will be the best restaurant experience you’ll have all month— a crew of absolute characters who are the kindest humans, all just stoked about oysters, food, and wine… this is the neighborhood hangout you’re looking for. :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish 'N' Chips, Oyster Platter
This place certainly has potential and it’s very early days so hopefully they will improve in a couple of areas. We got the fish and chips and Caesar salad, both were a good size and splitting each was the right decision for us. Both were very reasonably priced.
We also ordered a dozen oysters which were featured on the menu. The waiter informed us that it was dealers’s choice so they pick which is fine, but when he brought the oysters, we asked the waiter what they were and were told that he doesn’t really know much about Oysters so couldn’t tell us. At a minimum he could’ve gone back to the bar and gotten that information. I don’t think we’ve gone to a restaurant with oysters as a primary option where we were not given information about what we were getting. We also found the oysters themselves to be not the best. All of them were quite briny, but none of them were creamy like a good oyster can be.
So bottom line, the owner needs to train his staff and understand when people are paying $48 for a dozen oysters that they expect both quality and information. I will try the restaurant again after they’ve settled in, but hopefully they’ll take the suggestions to heart as I’m wishing them success
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Yeah this place is super fun. As far as oyster bars in the east bay I can’t think of a better spot. The decor is super cool sweet mix of modern meets east coast fishing house. The service was great and the oysters tasted great. When I come back I think I’ll try the fish and chips. The couple next to us got them and I was super jealous. The wine selection is also really good, small but it has 3 options for every type, what else do you need???
I’ve been here a couple of times now and will totally be coming back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Was worried that the food would be over rated, but the clam chowder was way better than I expected. The oysters were delicious and the drinks yummy. Vibes inside are cute and there’s a nice sunny open back patio.
The oysters and food were superb, and the service was great as well!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
On our weekly date night and decided we would stop and try this place. The place was relatively empty so we thought it pretty easy to get in. We stood there and waited for 5 minutes with the blonde bartender making eye contact and proceed to turn their back and clean the glasses. Preferred if they were closing to just acknowledge us instead of turning away.
Service: 1
I wasn’t impressed. Oysters weren’t great. Didn’t love the wine. Soup was watery. Sampled some other bites too and it didn’t feel elevated or special. For the price we paid, might as well go to the wolf where the quality matches the price. Service was AMAZING, however. Really great personalities and good energy was the saving grace here.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
My dream last night involved us playing ultimate at Oak Tech on a Sun evening, and then at sunset we decided to walk to Small Change Oyster Bar on Telegraph for wine and food.(I have never been, but it was great in my dream!) I ordered a dry earthy sparkling rosé the waiter was excited about, and it was really yummy. I ended up ordering a second glass despite thinking it was a bad idea since I had to work the next day. Well, our group was hanging out, having a great time, and I’m feeling very lovey and grateful for everyone. I eventually have to pee, so I go upstairs to use the restroom which had glass walls?! Awkward. I am sitting on the toilet and Alan walks upstairs to pee too (he was in there with another group of friends) and he sees me, so I am trying to hurry, but I can’t get myself to pee, so I feel bad I’m taking too long, and I give up so he can use the bathroom. I am about to walk downstairs, but these two long lost strangers see each other and apparently were really into each other before, so they impromptu start making out, and at first I’m thinking, “aw that’s cute,” but then it grosses me out because I can hear their teeth clinking together. I walk downstairs to rejoin the group and when I get to the foot of the stairs, Mac is above me and says, “hey babe, watch this,” and then he does a jacknife jump off the stairs into some wooden chairs busting one of the chairs. Mac is very drunk. I ask him what he had been drinking and he said whiskey. I didn’t know where he got the whiskey from in a wine bar, but I was glad he wasn’t injured. I find the restaurant manager and tell him we will pay for the broken chair. He asks for my email, and while I am giving it to him, I ask him how much the chair was. He said it was a $5,000 chair. I tried to play it cool, even though I was really surprised. It was a pretty simple wooden bar chair, but yeah I guess chairs cost a lot. So I tell him my email, but it was really hard watching him write it on this big note pad, he kept writing in big fancy cursive letters, it was making it hard to know if he spelled it right. Then he started designing a neon sign for the restaurant that said, “looking good babe.” Anyway, I confirm he has my email, and I am about to rejoin our group who is getting ready to leave, when the restaurant announces it is closed and it’s time for everyone to leave. But there is this big group of women who are drunk and don’t want to leave. They are telling the waitstaff, “are you seriously going to kick us out right now after how much we have spent?!” The waitstaff looked so tired. I felt bad for them, so I wanted to help. I walked over to the drunk Karens and shouted, “You should be ashamed of yourselves! Everyone else understands it is time to leave, but you think you’re better than everyone else?! Grow up!” They look stunned so I thought maybe my strategy worked. I’m almost back with our group who finished paying and is walking out the door when I hear someone coming up behind me. I turn around and she clearly wants to fight. I shrug and say, “what?” Then she tries to kick me with her wedge heel boots, but I catch her leg, and she has this “oh no!” look on her face. I drop her leg and she runs back to her group. I turn around and tell our group I think I was basically in a bar fight. Tommy laughed. We are walking out the bar, and I realize I didn’t finish my second glass of wine, there is about 1/3 of it left. I am bummed because I really liked it, I think about chugging it, but decide not to and am really proud of myself for that decision. I find Mac and he is wasted. We get to the street, and I realize I didn’t pay the bill, someone else did, which bummed me because I wanted to leave a really nice tip to apologize for the chair. I plan to write them a great review instead. 5 stars!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great neighborhood place with friendly employees, good drinks, and delicious food, even if you don’t/can’t eat oysters. If you can get the branzino, do so.
Love having a seafood spot in Temescal. They have some work to do on the value proposition here — or maybe they are still figuring out what kind of restaurant they want to be. I’m all for spending $48 for an entree and $23 for a glass of wine — but when the entree is a tiny lobster roll on a hot dog bun, and the atmosphere is old picnic tables, paper napkins, and super loud auto-tune music, it feels … a little off. Would love to see them elevate the atmosphere to match the pricing.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 3
Amazing food and vibes! Everyone that works there is SO nice and the oysters were truly the best I've ever had. Don't miss out on their fish and chips either!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish 'N' Chips, Oyster Platter
Restaurantji Recommends
Fantastic locale with great menu and great service. The manager takes great care of the place. Highly recommended!
all you can ask for at an oyster bar: super fresh and yummy oysters, outdoor seating by the fire and a tranquil atmosphere. a nice spot for my fellow oyster lovers out there, come check it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Platter
The mixed selection of broiled oysters and service were amazing. 💛
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Platter
If you’re a fan of fresh seafood, crafted drinks, and an unforgettable ambiance, Small Change is a must-visit! From the moment you step in, the warm, welcoming atmosphere sets the stage for a truly exceptional dining experience.
The oysters are phenomenal—perfectly shucked and bursting with briny goodness. Pair them with the house-made mignonettes or a glass of bubbly, and you’re in heaven. Beyond the oysters, the seafood offerings are next level. So happy to have Small Change in Temescal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oyster Platter
Temescal’s greatest treasure. This will be the best restaurant experience you’ll have all month— a crew of absolute characters who are the kindest humans, all just stoked about oysters, food, and wine… this is the neighborhood hangout you’re looking for. :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish 'N' Chips, Oyster Platter
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